Potential impact of health literacy level on type 2 diabetes risk: A cross-sectional study

This study aimed to examine the health literacy (HL) levels of ministry employees, assess their risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), and evaluate the relationship between HL and the risk of developing T2D. Conducted using a cross-sectional design, the study included data from 351 participants working at the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change between October 2020 and March 2021. Data were collected using the Turkish Health Literacy Scale (TSOY-32) and the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC). The mean HL score of participants was 31.92±7.85, with 59% of employees classified as having problematic or inadequate HL. Regarding T2D risk, 9.4% of participants were categorized as “high risk” and 1.1% as “very high risk” for developing T2D within the next 10 years. Descriptive findings indicated that as HL levels decreased, the risk of T2D increased. However, multiple linear regression analysis showed that HL was not independently associated with T2D risk when variables such as age and perceived general health were controlled. These findings suggest that although HL is not a direct determinant of T2D risk, it remains an important factor to consider in diabetes prevention programs due to its association with preventive health behaviors. The high prevalence of low HL among employees highlights the need for systematic assessment and enhancement of HL in workplace diabetes prevention initiatives. Longitudinal studies are necessary to understand better the potential causal relationships between HL and the risk of T2D.